Traverse rod



June 1959 H. s. ROSE-NBAUM 2,890,799

TRAVERSE ROD Filed NOV. 8, 1956 9 INVENTOR mimmm BY ,d lk, Loris ATTORNEY TRAVERSE ROD Harry S. fRosenbaum, Baltimore, Md.,: assignor to The Eastern Venetian .Blilld Company,.-Baltimore, Md., a l corporation of Maryland *App'lication'November 8, 1956, Serial No. 621,095

8 Claims. (Cl. 211105.2)

The present invention'relates to a rod foruse with clntains, drapes,- and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to =a -fiexible' rod for use in drapery or curtain installations, wherein the rod may be curved to any predetermined configuration.

'E'Thisapplication is a continuation-in-partof my'copending application Serial No. 484,240, filed-January '26, 1955; now US. Patent 2,79O,558, dated April-3O, "1957, entitled Traverse Rodi Drapery and curtain rods are generally formed in. onepiece constructions -or include telescoping members that aremovable-to-a desiredlength. 'Prior to. the instant invention, if a curved-rod wastobezinstalled;fortexample, in a baywindow or atthecornerof aroom, itrwas necessary topreshape the rod by using a-forming jig -or. a "ltoolof some kind. If a special configuration wereirequired, it was sometimes necessary. to preformithetrodzat 'the factory and only aftenprecise measurementswwere taken. 'l his-procedurewas not-only 'time-consumingsand uneconornical, but frequentlyithe preformed :rodrlidcnot accurately 1 fit i the installation and 1 further. adjustments were necessary to obtainithe properzrod curvature. i-More- :over,. once the heretofore known curtainrorzdrapery rod was .formed in. a: particular configuration ttoafit' aspecific installation; it was neither: practical nortexpedient to at- ;iempt to reshape: the'rod foranother installation, tif itwere ssoriesired.

*lt :is therefore an: object ofrthe present invention "to :provide azcurtain .or'gdraper'y- .rod pthatemay 'be formed in a desired configuration at the pointbf;installation-and :withoutspecial tools.

Anotherobject I of the present-I inventionrisgto provide a curtainrodthat is easily bendable to eifectaany-curved .configurationdesired. i

1 Still another object: of the present invention-is to provide .a curtain rodthat islformedrwith a-.plurality-.of spaced laterally. extendingslots, the ,tslotsnenabli-ng the rodto be. bent to the configuration, desired.

I Still another object of the presentinvention is ,to provide .a curtain rod that includes laterally slotted members'that are telescopically interfitted, -thereby enabling the rod to be bent in any desired direction in the horizontal lane.

Still another object of the present inveritionis to provide a curtain rod'that includes telescoping members, the inner member extending outwardly beyond'the outer member. for receiving additional rods andlthereby defining a splicing element.

"Other objects'and the nature and advantagesof the instant invention will be apparent from the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is aplan view of'the curtain rod embodied in.the present invention, showingthe rod afterit has been installed-with a particular curved configuration;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the encircled portion shown innFig. 1, the outer member of the telescoping members being broken away;

I Unite States Patent ice plicationt inthose installations Where a curved effect of ."the

drapery or cuntain is'desired. The flexible rod .is particularly adaptable for use in corner installations whereina right angle "bend is required and heretofore necessitated the use --of separately mounted. rods.

Referring IIOWITO the drawings, and particularly "Figs.

-1 and 2;the curtain rod embodied herein is illustratedan'd is-indicatedgenerally at lt). 'Although the rodltl may 'be shapedin'a variety of configurations, as shown inFig. 1,

therod-is formed in a: generally arcuate mannen'and' in this form is adaptable-for use "in a bay window or the like. The-rod-ltl'isflexible in construction and is adapted to be'bent to any configurationnecessaryior aparticular installation, as will hereinafter bedescribed. Referring par-ticularly to -Figs. 2 -and 3,- -the rod 10 is shown" being defined-by an outermernbenllandan inner member 14 .that telescopically inter-fits withinthe outer memberTZ.

As shown' in Fig. 3, the member 12 -is formed ina'convention'al channel construction and includes a rear wall 16,;bottom wal1.i1 8, top,walbQlLandtront walls '22, 24 that are joined to the top. and bottomwalls, respectively, andz'which arei'spaced toijdefine an opening 26. i l-1e innermember 14. is formedxina channel construction-simi- ,lar to. :the :outer imenrberz'lz. and includes anrean wall 28', bottom wall :30, qtopqwallz 32;.and'.f-ront wa'lls 36, 64 that .are: joined: to;:t-he;toprswall :32 and bottom wallt30, :re- .vspecu'vely, 1.- and which. are z-spacedzrtae.deiine :.an;openingf38. g-Thewrnembers :12 land: 14 are telescopically interfitted-so ;-that-;the: opehingsfidaand. 38 sarexinzzregister, thereby providingfor access to:itheinterior/of the inner membervl t. --By; providing :for registration of :the :openings -26=and 38,- the rod ;rnayalso =be:used;:.asi:ae traverse vtrackqandr-asa-shown in-Eig. 3, a r'ollervtiil'zisymountedcon the edge of the; lowenfront .-wa-ll,- 22'-of the; outer member 12 and extends interiorly of the inneri member-i '1'4. se-

cured to the roller 40 anddepending; therefrom is a;-finger ,42 that ;is.formed with anopening at-the lowerlend thereoffor receiving a prongs44hthat isiastened tova drapery indicated vat- .46. .It .is seentthat .thezconventional drapery master. icarriersr-may also. be similarly mounted in the track ldefined byjront walls.22, 1.24 of the-router member .12 along, with other ..rollers,:and :willflserwve 10 move t the drapery 46tov the desired positions.

In order vto render the rod,10 completely fieXiblet-in construction so that it may .be.bent. mthouLthe, aid 710i special tools to, any configuration ..desired, .depending 'on the. installation requirements, each .of .the vmembers 12 and 14 are formed with ase'ries ofspacedtransversemr laterally. extending. slots. Referring. again:to Eigs. 2. and 3, "the outer .mernber 12 is. shown bei ng .formed. wit h spaced transverse slots .50. that, extend "through. the .rear Wall 16 and through asubstantialportionof the topwall 20 and-,bottom.Wall-18. .sBy forming the outenmember in [this manner, .the,outer. member may be -.convenien tly bent in. a, horizontal .plane..-to,any positionvtdesiredflhe s1otte'd.rear--wa1l-.16, and bottom: and topi-walls providing for freedom ot-movement. Although the;-.slotted,.outer member 12 could be utilizedralonefiand Without-the: aid of anystifiening-element for. supporting; ailoadisu'ch asta drapery, tit Thas. been .found .that byinsertingpme inner membter 14 into the outer membertll, aimore rigid, and stable construction is provided. Since the inner member 14 must also be bendable with the outer member 12, it is formed with a series of spaced slots 52 that are oppositely positioned with respect to the slots 50 and extend from the edge of the front walls 34, 36 through a substantial portion of the bottom and top walls 31) and 32. The inner member 14 thus not only provides for rigidity of the rod construction, but enables the rod to be more effectively bent to any position desired.

As shown in Fig. l, the inner member 14 may extend through the outer member 12 on both sides thereof and thereby constitutes the means for mounting the rod 10 on wall brackets which, in Fig. l, are indicated at 54, 56. In this construction, the outer member 12 and inner member 14 have been bent in an arcuate shape for installation in a bay window. It is seen that the rod 10 is easily shaped without the aid of any special tools and it is furthermore seen that the spacing of the slots 50, 52 formed in the members 12, 14, respectively, provides for complete ease of forming. The double member rod 10 is not only simple to preform, but by employing the telescoping members 12 and 14, a strong and stable rod is provided. It is also seen that the inner rod provides a smooth unbroken surface that prevents the drapery drawcords from becoming frayed in the region of the bend.

In order to simplify the installation of the rod 10, it is contemplated to form the outer and inner members 12 and 14 in predetermined lengths. Thus, for any specific job, the required rod is available Without the necessity of severing the ends of the outer or inner members. Normally, the inner member 14 will be cut in lengths that are somewhat longer than the outer members so that the outer ends of the inner members may project outwardly of the outer members, thereby facilitating installation. This form of the rod is shown in Fig. 1.

The installation shown in Fig. 1 is accomplished without the aid of splicing together any of the members 12 or 14. The inner member 14 extends completely through the outer member 12 and defines a one-piece channel section. Thus, the ends of the inner member extend outwardly beyond the outer member 12 and are secured to the walls 54, 56 thereby mounting the rod in position.

In certain installations, it is sometimes required to form the rod 10 at a right angle bend, such as, for example, at a corner location. The present invention is particularly adaptable for this purpose and, referring to Fig. 4, the curtain rod 10 is shown located at a corner installation, the telescoping members 12, 14 being formed in a right angle configuration to follow the outline of the wall at the corner position.

In corner and other installations where it is desirable to have the curtain or drapery cover a rather large area, the length of the rod 10 is normally insufficient to meet the length requirements of the installation. In such instances, it is necessary to extend the length of the rod and the present invention is particularly adaptable for this purpose, the use of special splicing tools or plates not being necessary or required. Normally, it is diflicult to splice track sections together, since the sections must be carefully butted to provide for a smooth track over which the drapery rollers must ride. It is understood that two lengths of straight rod may be spliced together but for the purpose of illustrating the splicing arrangement embodied herein (see Figs. 4 and 5), a straight rod is shown spliced to the curved rod, the splicing structure including only the usual outer member 12 and the inner member 14 that define the rod. The splice is formed by extending the inner member 14a of the curved rod somewhat beyond the outer member 12a, the extension of the inner member 14a being indicated at 58. The straight rod to be spliced includes an outer member extension 60 that is joined to the outer member 12b which telescopically receives the inner member 14b. The extension 60 telescopically engages the extension 58 and abuts against the extreme edge 120 of the outer member 12a of the curved rod, while the inner member extension 58 abuts against the extreme edge 14c of the inner member 14b of the straight rod. The complete rod thus formed includes the curved and straight rods, the inner members of each rod defining a smooth unbroken surface that provides for ease of cord handling which thereby prevents fraying of the cord during movement of the drapery associated therewith. The bend is simple and easy to accomplish and may be formed by hand, thereby eliminating the need for special tooling. The rod or track may be as long as desired by simply telescoping the inner and outer members of individual rod lengths. Special splicing plates are eliminated by the present invention and all size bends may be made depending on the installation requirements.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible rod comprising a channel shaped inner member and a channel shaped outer member interfitting in telescoping relation, each of said members having opposed edges that define a longitudinally extending opening formed in a wall thereof, said members being positioned so that said openings register, thereby providing for access to the interior of said inner member, said outer member being formed with spaced lateral slots that extend through the back wall thereof and substantially through the top and bottom walls thereof, said inner member being formed with spaced lateral slots that extend through the front wall thereof and through a portion of the top and bottom walls thereof, said rod being bendable to any desired configuration, said slotted members providing for ease of bending said rod to the curved configuration and further providing a sufficiently rigid unit for carrying a drapery that is suspended therefrom.

2. In a curtain installation, a flexible rod including a channel shaped outer member, a channel shaped inner member located in telescoping relation in said outer member, each of said members including spaced opposed edges that define longitudinally extending slots, and spaced lateral slots formed in each of said members, said slotted members enabling said rod to be bent to a curved configuration.

3. In a curtain installation, a flexible rod including an outer member formed in a channel section having an open side, and an inner member of channel section having an open side and located in telescoping engagement in said outer member said open side being defined by spaced edges formed on said member, the open side of said channel sections being in register thereby providing for access to the interior of said inner member, said channel sections being formed with spaced lateral slots whereby said rod is bendable to a curved configuration.

4. In a curtain installation, a flexible rod including a channel shaped outer member having a series of spaced transverse slots formed therein, and a channel shaped inner member having a series of spaced transverse slots formed therein, said inner and outer members being located in telescoping relation and each of said members including spaced opposed edges that define longitudinally extending slots.

5. In a curtain installation, a plurality of rods joined together to form an elongated track, each of said rods including a channel shaped outer member formed with a series of spaced transverse slots, and a channel shaped inner member telscopically engaging said outer member and formed with a series of spaced transverse slots, said rods being spliced together by extending a portion of the inner member of one rod within a portion of the outer member of the adjacent rod, each of said inner and outer members including spaced opposed edges that define longitudinally extending slots.

6. In a drapery installation, a traverse rod including an outer member of channel shape, said channel shaped outer member having spaced opposed edges that define a longitudinal slot therebetween, a series of spaced transversely extending slots formed in said outer member whereby said rod may be moved to a desired curved configuration, and a channel shaped insert member positioned in said outer member for adding rigidity thereto, said channel shaped insert member including spaced opposed edges that define a longitudinal slot therebetween, said second named longitudinal slot communicating with said first named longitudinal slot, and a series of spaced transverse slots formed in said insert member to provide for flexibility of movement of said traverse rod.

7. A curtain rod comprising a first elongated member of channel section having spaced opposed edges that define a longitudinal slot, spaced transverse slots formed in said member for enabling said rod to be moved to a curved position, and a second member inserted into the interior of said first member for adding rigidity thereto, said second member being of channel shape and having spaced opposed edges that define a second longitudinal slot, said second longitudinal slot communicating with the first named longitudinal slot, and spaced transverse slots formed in said second member providing for flexibility of movement of said curtain rod.

8. A curtain rod comprising an elongated outer member of channel section having spaced opposed edges that define a longitudinally extending slot formed in the front wall of said channel section, an inner elongated member of channel section telescopically interfitted in said outer member and having spaced opposed edges that define a second longitudinally extending slot formed in the front wall of said inner elongated member, said second slot communicating with the first named slot to provide access to the interior of said rod through said slots, said outer member having a plurality of spaced transversely extending slots formed therein, said inner member having a plurality of spaced transversely extending slots formed and located in opposite relation to the first named slots, said transverse slots providing for flexibility of movement of said rod in a horizontal direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 523,009 Riddell July 17, 1894 1,032,265 Anderson July 9, 1912 1,756,448 Bigney Apr. 29, 1930 2,357,17 1 Carlson Aug. 29, 1944 2,619,375 Merrill l Nov. 25, 1952 2,650,714 Brose et al. Sept. 1, 1953 2,683,890 Rosenbaum July 20, 1954 2,790,558 Rosenbaum n.. Apr. 30, 1957 

